After a five-year hiatus, Whakatāne officially holds the sought-after New Zealand 'Sunshine Capital' title!
(Originally Published in January 2021)
The official announcement has crowned Whakatāne 'Sunshine Capital' of New Zealand for the fifth time since records kept by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) began. Not to mention, we continue to be the reigning champion for the North Island.
We'd like to extend a warm welcome to the rest of New Zealand to take a break from their lack of sunshine hours, and come and share ours!
This fantastic accolade confirms what we already know - that Whakatāne has everything under the sun, and plenty of sun at that.
We have an abundance of sunshine throughout the year, which only adds to the magic of the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
There are so many things to experience here - rich cultural history, secluded beaches, boutique shopping and incredible outdoor adventures right on our back doorstep.
A total of 2704 sunshine hours recorded in 2020 put Whakatāne 89 hours ahead of second-place Richmond, the 2019 winner. We also took out first place in the sunshine stakes for January, February, May and December!
Whakatāne is the perfect place to soak up an extended summer!
We welcome anyone who has yet to decide on a holiday destination this year, to come and enjoy the spectacular weather and excellent hospitality we're known for.
Things to do in the sun!
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